What Does a Dragon Taste Like?
The woman held me tightly in her arms, glaring sharply at the werewolf that was bleeding out and unconscious from my kicks. Her killing intent poured out like a dagger.
“Kyaawoong…”
Look, he’s already passed out and barely breathing.
I buried my face in the Gumiho’s chest with a deep sigh.
Once I stopped wriggling, the Gumiho finally noticed something was off.
“Eh… wait a second…?”
That vicious werewolf had been ready to pounce on her at any moment.
But the creature only twitched on the ground with both arms completely torn off, its consciousness fading. Bloody foam dripped from its mouth, and its eyes were rolled back white—perfectly unconscious.
Just looking at it, the fight was over. I couldn’t even tell if it was still alive.
“W-what happened here…?”
The Gumiho scanned the empty cave, alternating her gaze between the werewolf and me—the only other person present.
“Haaaaau…”
The chest is so soft and warm… nice.
I let out a satisfied yawn while nestled in her embrace, enjoying the fluffy warmth.
Only then did the oblivious woman gently lift me up to eye level.
You’re not embarrassed?
“C-coochie? Did… did you make that werewolf look like this…?”
Her eyes shook violently, full of disbelief.
Why is she so suspicious? Am I not supposed to save her?
“Kyaawoong.”
Oh. I caught it.
I nodded unconcerned, shooting her a look that said she had created a ridiculous situation by misunderstanding everything.
You’re embarrassed too? You did something embarrassing the second you woke up?
Only after my openly mocking gaze did the Gumiho finally understand the full picture.
She had gone out of her way to protect the near-death werewolf by unfurling her nine tails just to shield him.
Her once-pale face flushed bright red in an instant.
She bowed her head in shame and quickly looked away.
“S-sorry… I lost consciousness for a moment and couldn’t process the situation properly…”
“Kyaawoo.”
I know. Just put me down already. It’s getting cramped staying here this long.
I extended my paw and pushed her reddened cheeks firmly with my pink jelly.
She carefully lowered me to the ground while keeping her head bowed.
“Kyaawoong.”
How tightly did she hold me? My fur is all messy.
The moment I touched the floor I shook my body vigorously, then licked my paw to wash my face and tidy my ruffled fur.
Ugh, how annoying it is to groom myself. Seriously…
I looked up at the Gumiho sitting quietly nearby, watching my grooming.
She smelled a bit like Lumia, but the aura and mana she radiated were far heavier, as expected from a mature nine-tailed spirit beast.
“I’m really grateful you saved me. If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have lasted much longer and would have died here.”
The Gumiho knelt on the ground and bowed respectfully to me.
I placed my paw on her head.
“Kyaawoo! Kyaaaang!”
What? You’re carrying this much? It wasn’t that hard at all.
I proudly puffed my chest and let out a victorious fart.
The Gumiho’s face, which had been looking up, suddenly hardened into a serious expression.
Why is her face always like this?
“But little one, you still need to leave this mountain quickly. It’s way too dangerous right now.”
“Kyaawoong?”
Danger? What danger? My butler and I already beat up all the magical beasts here. The real threat is the monsters themselves.
I tilted my head curiously, and the Gumiho shook her head vigorously.
“It’s not the werewolf I’m talking about. Even I couldn’t lift a finger to defend myself against a terrifying monster that’s been roaming this entire mountain.”
“Kyaawoong?”
You couldn’t even fight back?
Even so, the Gumiho was still a creature that others would think twice before farting around with.
The monster that reduced her to this state was roaming the mountain. My ears perked up with curiosity.
“Kyaaaang!”
What did it look like? A boar? Or like me—a tiger?
I tapped the ground with my paw, and her face turned deathly pale as she answered carefully.
“I didn’t get a good look at it because I was ambushed, but it was an incredibly massive reptilian creature with scales and wings… it looked just like a dragon.”
“Kyaawoo?!”
A Dragon?!
The moment I heard the word, my heart started thumping wildly like crazy.
A dragon… what does it taste like?
Even the old Earth Dragon’s bone was so delicious… what if it was a living dragon…
I drooled at the mouth and sent her a desperate look asking where she had seen one.
If I catch that dragon, I’ll win the bet with Kailian.
“Even if you look at me like that… it wasn’t a normal dragon.”
“Kyaawoo?”
What are you talking about?
“It felt incredibly heavy and sinister… it looked like a mindless undead or magical beast. In any case, you must never fight it. Let’s leave the mountain right now.”
The Gumiho pushed my back and urged me forward, but my mind was already full of thoughts about tasting the dragon.
“Kyaaaaang!”
No way! I’m not going! I want to go catch the dragon!
I stood my ground drooling, and the Gumiho panicked and blocked me.
She must have sensed what I was thinking because she started soothing me urgently.
“No, little one! You’re still too small! Even if you’re strong, there’s something beyond just raw power… and if something happens to you, how sad will the family left behind be?”
“Kyaawoong?”
Oh right… Kailian said she’d confiscate my snacks if I go too far alone…
When that terrifying threat appeared, my tail drooped.
Even if I catch the dragon, if I lose the snacks I’ll lose the bet completely.
I want to taste the dragon, but I can’t give up future snacks.
“Kyaawoo.”
Got it. I’ll go back to the butlers first. The werewolf should be enough as prey.
I wiped the drool from my mouth and headed toward the werewolf lying on the cave floor.
Snap.
I bit down hard on its neck again.
“C-coochie… why are you biting that?! That’s dirty!”
When I grabbed the werewolf, the Gumiho was horrified and tried to stop me.
“Kyaawoong.”
This is my prey. I need to bring it back so I can win the bet with Kailian.
When I tried to drag the werewolf out, the Gumiho sighed deeply and touched her forehead.
“Haa… you’re really impossible, coochie… your fur will be ruined if you keep dragging it down like this.”
She stepped closer and opened her mouth slightly, spitting out a glowing green bead.
It’s much bigger than Lumia’s?
I stared with sparkling eyes at the bead that looked like four times Lumia’s fox marble.
Fwaaah.
The Gumiho rolled the bead over the werewolf’s massive body, and a blinding light flashed.
The large werewolf body then shrank and compressed into a tiny glass marble no bigger than a fingernail, landing in front of her fox marble.
“Kyaawooong?!”
Whoa… what kind of technique was that?
I opened my mouth wide staring at the spot where the werewolf had vanished.
It’s similar but not exactly like Rosalia’s subspace magic.
I want that one.
My eyes sparkled as I stared at the bead, and the Gumiho chuckled, petting my head.
“It’s not that special. You can only use it when the opponent is completely unable to resist. It instantly breaks if they fight back.”
She placed the small glass bead containing the trapped werewolf into a tiny pouch and tied it to my neck with a string.
“See? No need to carry something heavy anymore. I’ll guide you back to your group right away.”
“Kyaawoong.”
Yay! Let’s go.
I wagged my tail energetically and followed the Gumiho out of the cave with my now lighter body.
I’ll ask her later if I can eat the tail when I’m hungry.
Blank! Blank!! Where did you go by yourself again! I’m confiscating your snacks!
While my Gumiho and I had almost exited the forest, Kailian’s voice called out searching for me.
“Kyaawoo! Kyaaaang!”
I’m right here! Don’t confiscate the snacks!
Before Kailian could get angrier, I kicked off the ground and shot forward like a bullet.
Poof!
“Eh?! Blank?!”
I dove straight into her wide chest.
“Haa… I was really scared! I searched everywhere but couldn’t find you, so I thought something happened!”
Kailian sighed in relief and rubbed my back and head roughly.
“Kyaawoong.”
I got here right away, so don’t confiscate the snacks.
That’s my happiness, butler.
While I was curled up in Kailian’s arms, the Gumiho who had been quietly hiding behind us cautiously revealed herself.
“Um… I’m glad I found your group safely.”
After pushing through the bushes, Kailian’s eyes widened in shock at the sight of the Gumiho.
“Gumiho…? Why are you here with Blank…?”
“Hehe… I only came to repay the kindness I received from that little family. You don’t need to be so cautious.”
“What?”
Kailian opened her mouth wide and stared at me.
Why…? I didn’t do anything wrong.
I nuzzled her chest and acted cute, trying to read her expression.
She looked at me in disbelief and tugged my chubby cheek.
“Hey, Blank.”
“Kyaawoong…?”
Why…?
“Every time you go out alone, it looks like you’re bringing back something new.”
“Kyaawoong…”
It’s just my imagination.
I wiggled my stretched cheek and paws in an indignant way.